The present invention relates to a timepiece including a clockwork movement, provided with an analogue display including at least two rotating display indicators attached to respective coaxial pipes and means for indicating the angular position of said indicators.
In the case of a timepiece configuration of this type, it may be desirable to have information as to the angular position of two of these coaxial indicators, or even more. In particular, the invention concerns identification of the angular position of each indicator by a rotating plate superposed with a magnetic or capacitive sensor.
To achieve this, it is necessary to associate, with each coaxial mobile part carrying an indicator, an indicating element co-operating with a sensor sensitive to its movement and capable of generating the desired angular position signal. If the problem of implanting such a sensor is relatively easy to resolve when there is only one display indicator, this is not the case when one has to indicate the angular position of two or more display indicators rotating about the same axis. Indeed, in this case, the sensors must a priori be located in proximity to as many indicating plates superposed and respectively mounted on the coaxial pipes of the indicators. Such an arrangement means arranging the sensors on different levels which is are liable to occupy significant height, thereby increasing that of the clockwork movement. Such an arrangement would also complicate the connection of the sensors to an electronic circuit for processing the angular measurement signals.
The object of the invention is to provide a timepiece of the type defined in the preamble, wherein several coaxial display indicators can be associated with means capable of providing data as to their respective angular position, while resolving the problems which have just been listed.
The invention therefore concerns a timepiece as defined by the claimed features.
As a result of these features, the presence of several sensors, associated with as many coaxial indicators, does not increase the height of the timepiece, which remains substantially the same as that which one would have with indication by a single indicator rotating about a given axis. Moreover, it becomes possible to arrange the position indicating plate at a first level and the sensors at a second level, so that any increase in height necessary for indicating the respective angular positions of the coaxial indicators remains that of a single sensor. Furthermore, since the sensors are preferably located on the same level, the whole of the connection can also be made on the same level, i.e. that of the sensor base.